Best Time to Drive from Fountain Valley to Lake Forest

Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 19 minutes via I-405 South, usually 19 at this time.

None of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Fountain Valley to Lake Forest (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 18 minutes and up to 29 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 22 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (19 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fountain Valley to central Lake Forest along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Fountain Valley to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 18 minutes then, versus up to 29 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fountain Valley to Lake Forest?

The 18-mile drive usually takes 18 to 29 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 22 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fountain Valley to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 29 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (13 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Forest to Fountain Valley (return trip) · Fountain Valley to Los Angeles · Fountain Valley to Long Beach · Fountain Valley to Anaheim · Fountain Valley to Riverside · Fountain Valley to Irvine · Fountain Valley to San Bernardino · Fountain Valley to Fontana · Fountain Valley to Moreno Valley · Fountain Valley to Glendale · Fountain Valley to Santa Clarita · Fountain Valley to Oceanside

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